Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight can cause a variety of skin conditions including cosmetic defects such as discoloration, pore formation, age spots, spider veins, and rough texture, as well as serious diseases such as skin cancer. Sun exposure can also lead to the appearance of premature aging by causing the skin to lose its elasticity and form wrinkles.
Various topical creams, lotions, and ointments have been made in an attempt to address the negative effects of sun damage on the skin either by prevention or treatment. However, preventive topical compositions such as conventional sunscreens are inadequate because they typically wash or rub off, require frequent re-application, and are not properly or thoroughly applied. Nevertheless, even with proper application of common sunscreens, UV exposure and DNA damage can still occur despite a high sun protection factor (SPF). Similarly, conventional topical compositions for treating sun damaged skin are inadequate and fail to address the multiple complex cellular levels impacted by sun exposure. Such deficient conventional products are limited to addressing only a single cellular aspect of the complex cascade of cellular damage caused by sun exposure.